Improvement in damper-regulators



UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIcE.

JAMES E. NEALL AND WILLIAM MYERS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DAM PER-REGULATORS.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,439, dated November 6, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES F. NEALL and WILLIAM MYERS, ofthe city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Damper- Regulators for Boiler-Furnaces; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the said improved regulator; Fig. 2, a central vertical lsection of Fig. 1 and Figs. 3 and 4, enlarged sectional portions of Fig. 2, like letters of reference indicating the same parts when in the different figures.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of a fixed hollow piston and a hollow movable weighted cylinder, as hereinafter described and set forth, whereby, when the same are respectively connected to a steam-boiler and its furnace-damper, as hereinafter described, the latter can be controlled or regulated with greater accuracy and constancy than heretofore.

In the drawings, A is the fixed hollow piston, and B the hollow movable cylinder, the weights g gl g2 g3 of the latter being indicated by the faint lines in Fig. 1.

The piston A is a hollow cylinder permanently flxed to any suitable supporting-plate or block of wood, c, (which is intended to be fixed in a vertical position against a wall or other fixture above the 4furnace-damper,) by means of an arm or post, c', attached to its lower end, so as to remain in a permanent vertical position, with the portion which is above the said arm c entirely free from contact with the plate c. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

The movable cylinder B is closed at its upper end, and from the center of Athe latter a stift' rod, b1, extends upward, and operates, through an eye-piece, b2, as a steadying-guide during the movements of the said cylinder B, when the latter is tted over the piston A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The inner diameter of the hollow cylinder B is about a half-inch (more or less) greater than the exterior diameter of the piston A; but it has an annular projection, b3, around the inner side of its extreme lower end, the diameter of which projection is such as will allow the piston A to move freely within the Said annular projection, with an intervening packing of leather or other elastic packing', as will immediately be explained.

The lower end of the cylinder B has also screw-threads cut around its outer Side, and a cap or thimble, b4, having a central opening for receiving the piston A, is screwed permanently thereon, with the packing E between. (See Fig. 3.)

The packing consists of a iiat disk of leather, E, or its equivalent material, the diameter of which corresponds with the inner diameter of the thimble b4 of the cylinder B, and has a hole through its center, which is aboutaquarter of an inch (more or less) smaller than the external diameter of the piston A, and consequently, when it is pressed between the cylinder B and the thimble b4, the piston A having been inserted by pressing it upward within it, the inner edge of the said packingdisk E will be turned upward, so as to cause its under-side edge to bear directly around against the piston A, substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

To the lower end of the cylinder B a bridle, F, is jointed or suspended, and to this a suitable rod is intended to be attached, which will extend down to and connect with the dampervalve to be operated or governed. (See the faint lines .r y in Fig. l.) The damper may be operated from below it by connecting it with the upper end of the guide-rod b, if desired.

To the lower end of the fixed piston A a steam-pipe (see faint lines z, Fig. 1) is intended to be attached, which will extend to and cornlnunicate with the steam in the boiler.

Operation: The cylinder' B and thimble b4 having been screwed tightly together, with the packing-disk E between, and then pushed down over the piston A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will bereadily understood that when free communication is made between it and the steam in a boiler, the inner edge of the packing-disk E will be kept steam-tightagainst the piston A, and the cylinder B will be forced upward by a steam-pressure corresponding with the area of the bore of the piston A, and that the bore being, say, one-fourth of an inch area, and the pressure inthe boiler fty pounds to the inch, weights g, to the amount of twelve and a half pounds, resting on the cylinder B, will keep the latter stationary at any position it may be placed on the piston, and consequently, if the said cylinder B be connected through the bridle F with .the lever-arm of a damper adjusted for a proper draft, (seefaint lines, Fig. 1,) the said damper will be so held; but should the pressure in the boiler be either increased or diminished, the cylinder will rise or fall accordingly, and thereby so operate the damper as to either diminish or increase the area of its opening, and thus regulate the draft of the furnace, so as to cause it to preserve the requisite uniform pressure in the boiler.

The weights g are intended to be bored and slotted, so that they may be easily placed around the cylinder B and rest upon the projecting edge of the thimble. (See the faint lines g, Figui.)

It will be seen that as the piston and cylinder are kept in a truly vertical position, and the latter free to move up and down over the former, there will be but a trie more friction than arises froln the packing-disk E, and which, from its peculiar mode of operation, allows the cylinder to be moved by the slightest change in the pressure of the steam in the boiler, and consequently to regulate or govern the damper with the greatest accuracy and constancy. Besides, the device is small, compact, inexpensive of construction, A and not liable to get out of order by use; in fact, the packing is self-adjusting, as it wears away by long-continued use, and the condensation of steam keeps it always covered by a stratum 0f water, and therefore always pliable and accurate in its contact with the piston.

Having thus fully described our improved damper-regulator, what we claim as new therein and of our invention is confined to the following, viz: i

The piston A and cylinder B, when the same are constructed, arranged, land combined to be operated together by the pressure of steam in a boiler and the counter-pressure of movable weights applied directly upon the said cylinder, substantially as described and set forth, for the purpose specified.

JAMES F. NEALL. WILLIAM MYERS.

Witnesses:

BENJ. MomsoN, J As. HINsMoRE, J r. 

